Tissue sheet dispenser



Jan. 1, 1952 A. c. H. wl-:lss 2,580,982

TISSUE SHEET DISPENSER VFiled Feb. 7, 1949 I 2 SHEETS-Sl-EET l lm' im:

' ifm/vom CH wE/ss FM-#m5, s

Jan. l, 1952 A. C. H: WEISS A TISSUE SHEET DISPENSE 2' smTs-sm-:T 2

Filed Feb. '7, 1949 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY-1' Patented Jan. l, 1952 1" UNITED Asfmfrss rgrsNT OFFICE Alexander C. H. Weiss, Silver Spring, Md. Application February 7, 1949, Serial No. 75,050

3 Claims. (Cl. S12-50) This invention relates to dispensers for sheet material, particularly fordisposable tissues of the type marketed as interengaged sheets, where withdrawal of one sheet leaves a portion of the next sheet in an accessible position for withdrawal, and has particular relation to a tissue sheet dispenser which leaves a substantial portion of such succeeding sheet in a projected. stiened position for ready withdrawal.

Existing sheet dispensers have heretofore been so constructed that the sheet accessible for withdrawal is bent laterally adjacent the dispensing slot and lies against the dispensing wall in collapsed position.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser for sheet material, where the successively available sheets are held in projected, stiffened position in a curve, preferably a reverse or serpentine curve. This holding of the successive sheets in a curve serves in effect to stiien them against transverse or lateral bending, so that the edge of each sheet is 'held in a stiened or projected position, whereby it may be more'readily grasped for withdrawal and will present a pleasing appearance and/or form a portion of the body of a gurine, such as a n for a sh or a wing or tail for a bird or the like.

The dispenser is provided with a dispensing slot or passageway, shaped to bend the sheet and hold the sheet in bent and suciently stiffened position so that the outer portion of the sheet projects for a considerable distance upwardly and so can be readily grasped for withdrawal and will present a pleasing appearance which will blend in or form a part of a figurine design forming a part of the dispenser.

The sheet dispensing passageway is preferably shaped exteriorly as an ornamental gurine which may be in the form of an animal, ship or the like.

The dispenser of this invention may be formed as a pair of cooperating cover members, detachably engaged, dening therebetween when engaged a curved passageway, preferably a serpentine passageway, for holding successive sheets therein in projected extended position.

Other features of the invention will be apparent and will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of one of the simpler forms of the dispenser of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of another of the simpler forms of the invention;

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are plan, perspective and side views respectively of a preferred form of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of another modication;

Figs. 7 and 8 are perspective views of showing details of the form of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional view of another modification; A I

Fig. l0 is a perspective view showing a detail of the form of Fig. 9; and A Y Fig. ll is a perspectiveview of still another form of the invention. n `Referring now to Figs. l to 5 and Fig. 1l. of the drawings, there is shown a unitary cover IIJ having four lateral sides IIV and supporting a cover or wall I2. A dispenser of this general type may be conveniently molded of plastic material as shown in simple form in Figs. l, 2 and ll. As shown in Fig. 4, the dispenser I0 is formed to lt over standard .sheet tissue cartonsjone type being shown in dotted lines at I6. However, the invention may .be embodied in the carton itself. In Fig. 1, ithecover or wall I2 is provided with1 a slot I3, which may be curved but is preferably o f serpentine form. Inv the form shown in Fig. 2, a serpentine passageway I4 extending vertically from and mounted on. the Wall I2 and provided with a serpentine wslot I3, is shown. In this form, the slot I3 is parallel to the wall I2 which has a base slot (not shown) at I5. Thus it will be apparent that a pair of slots, namely, the upper slot I3 and the base slot at I5, may be utilized to Vmaintain the avail? able tissue sheet in extended, projected position. The pair of slots I3 and I5 are shown in parallel position. although they may be non-parallel as generally indicatedcn Fig. 5.

Referring more speciiically to Figs. 3,4 and a figurine 20, in the form of two iish, is mounted on the wall I2. The figurine 20 is provided with a lateral serpentine slot I3, which is shown vertically sepentine in Fig. 5 with one guide edge I3a higher than the other guide I3bv and vertically serpentine in Fig. 4. The sheet tissue 30, as shown in Fig. 4 is held in an extended, projected position by virtue of being supported in a stiffened position by means of the serpentine slot I3. p

In the modification shown in Fig. 11, the tissue sheet 30 is held in extended, projected position by means of a pair ofvguide support members I'I mounted on opposite sides of and below the rectangular opening I8 in the wall I2 of the dispenser. The members I1 are positioned in such relation to the opposing wall edges I9 and to each other that a serpentine support slot arrangement is provided. As shown, the sheet contact points IIa are in a plane which is nonparallel with normal vertical plane of the tissue sheet portion below the edges I9. The sheet contact points I9a are shown below the level of the edges, thus providing a vertical curved contact and holding slot arrangement which contributes to the stiiening result on the projected and extended tissue sheet.

Referring now to Figs. 6, 7 and 8, there is form of a pair of iish in tail-to-tail position.k The top edges 42a, 43h of the figurine halves 42,

43 serve to define between them a dispensing slot I3 which is curved both laterally and vertically so as to hold the tissue sheet'S'V in an upright stiiened, projected and curvedrposition. Complementary tting members are provided along the inner contacting edges of the sides lla, Hb, at both ends tof the dispenser, as by means-:of complementary vlinterlocking lelements 44a, 44h in the form of a longitudinally slidable, Cishaped--tongue and 'groove locking arrangement, the top I 2a beingprovided with arcover extension-'45 to conceal the interlocking members when closed in slidable -and locked position. Inv the modification shownin Figsf-Q vand l0, there'isv shown `a IdispenserV I0 comprising complementary halves having complementary fitting members-"provided *along the vinner contacting edges-"ofthe l-sides l la, l lb-at both endslof-the dispenser, as fby means'` of male andI female tongue and' groove-snap elements 45a, 4th.r The sides-tmpl lb, asshown, are' indented as at 41a, 415 to provide-*linger grips -to assist in' separating ,the halves when in--snapped yand closed position. As' shown V'in-Fig; 10,1 this form-oi the dispenser is provided on fthewall portions ma', 12h with a ghrineintheform of` complementary halvesf-42i 43J having complementary serpentine guide -`edges' 42a; 43h 'for maintaining the` tissue sheets* inmstiffened, .proJected "andextended position:L Thus,-tl1e presentlvinventionenablesthe 'pro'- vision ofv a dispenser wliich will hold Ytissue sheets; suon as facial; tissues-Hor paper towels and :the like; in interfolded stackedv Y rf crm -or V'in rolled-"form ,the dispenser.'V The present-invention may beembodied `-in the Vform yof afcover foi-aftissuewartonfpr itmay be"*enibodied in the carton itself. In=eith`er -Ycasepan ornamental 'figurine' may be-"used-to 'provideA the curved or serpentine slot, and the tissue sheets stiiened, projected and entended thereby may serve as an extension for the configuration and outline of the figurine, such as a sail for a ship, aback n for a iish, a -tail for a peacock-etc., Vin addition to being readily available in upright position for dispensing by the user.

Although the invention has been disclosed and described in its simplest and preferred embodiments, various modifications and departures willbe' apparent to those skilled in the art and it is intended that all such modications be included ,as coming within the scope and spirit of' the appended claims.

I claim:-

-1. "-A dispenser yfor flexible sheet material come prising-a containerincluding `an upper wall 'provided with a *passager having transversely'v ypa1r allel 'and-"identical sides, said'sides extending generally perpendicnlarly from said- Wall, I for holding a dispensable sheet perpendicularl with respect to 1sa-id Wall, `said passage'anc'l its walls having 'serpentine' curves between #their 'transverse extremities"forfholding said sheetsina corrugated position during dispensing.L

2. 'A dispenser as'y set `forth in claim "l, IWhere*- in each of said: sides has an outer edge'substantially parallel with Said Wall.-A

3. A dispenser as set forth in'claim 1,'W-here' in each lof said sides'has lanouter-edge ofvarying distance from 'said-Wall.

ALEXANDER "C. WEISSJ" REFERENGES CITED The followingreferences are of record inthe Ille of thi's'pate'nt:

UNITED STATES `.Pl' I-'El\1'1TS Y 217213 f GreatBr-itairrl f 051997 

